A TOP police officer said today that heroin should be legally sold on the street.

Richard Brunstrom, chief constable of North Wales Police, said he was prepared to see the Class A drug sold on the street corner or through a pharmacy.

Mr Brunstrom made the comments on a programme for BBC Wales, which is to be broadcast this evening (Thursday).

He said: "The question is actually not `Am I prepared to see the government selling heroin on the street corner or through the pharmacy?' but `Why would we not want to do that? What is wrong with that?'.

"That's the question we should be asking. It's a very challenging question.

"I don't know what society's answer is, but my answer is that this is what we should be doing because our current policy is causing more harm than good."

This is not the first time that the police chief has expressed controversial views on drugs,

In 2001 he released a statement saying the only way to win the war on drugs may be to legalise them all.

North Wales councillor Jeff Evans, who is suing the chief constable over what he claims are poor policing standards, said: "It is a scandal. I think it is a failure to address the issues of the public.